title: Quality of life: conceptual issues.
abstract: The evaluation of the quality of life of oncology patients may enable us to evaluate the impact of medical and nursing interventions on patients' lives and, ultimately, to produce information that may improve health care and the quality of patients' lives. However, quality of life is a complex concept that does not have a universal definition or a standard for its measurement. It must be defined clearly in order for it to be clinically useful.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Illinois, Chicago 60612.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Ferrans
mesh_terms: D003210:Concept Formation; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life